Who does cosmetic surgery benefit?

As much as cosmetic surgery is a personal choice and should only be undertaken if it’s something that you believe will benefit you, it could be the case that there are several other people who will notice a positive impact on their own lives after you choose to undergo surgery.

This tends to be considered truer for weight loss surgeries, where patients undergoing gastric bypasses and lap band surgeries discover a whole new lease of life when the weight begins to come off and they find they have a lot more energy. That means that not only do they benefit from better health and mobility, but their families can enjoy the advantages too.

For example, if a patient was overweight to the extent that they couldn’t play with their children in the garden or take them on days out because they’d become too exhausted, then massive weight loss can literally turn a family’s life around – as well as help ensure that children learn about exercise and develop positive habits with their parents.

But what about other surgeries that are strictly for aesthetic purposes? There’s a lot of judgement from some people about how the industry is perceived as ’shallow’ – which is simply not true. There is nothing ’shallow’ about feeling significant emotional turmoil due to the way you look. Most people have experienced feeling self-conscious at one time or another, and surely people can apply those feelings to understand what a torment it can be to be unhappy in your own skin.

Some people who were bullied when younger due to their looks can find a new life following surgery, with breast surgery or ear pinning procedures amongst the most prominent choices. Some people find that, by undergoing surgery, their libido returns and their relationship with their partner gets better and it’s normally nothing to do with the way their partner perceives their attractiveness, but has far more to do with how attractive they feel themselves after having surgery.

Aesthetic cosmetic surgery absolutely benefits the person undergoing the treatment most – and that’s the way it should be. One thing it doesn’t do, however, is harm others – so this personal choice is exactly that, personal.